Erin Dombroksi and Gable Stone Claim $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby

Kelli Cruciotti-Vanderveen and Forever SFN Claim $37,000 Power & Speed Stake CSI 3*

$37,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake CSI 3* Results in Three-way Tie

Samuel Parot and Singulon Swipe $6,000 Speed Stake CSI 3* Win

For Immediate Release

Sarah Madden for TIEC

Mill Spring, NC – June 6, 2022 – Tryon Spring 5 at Tryon International Equestrian Center & Resort (TIEC) featured CSI 3* competition, the first USHJA National Hunter Derby to be hosted on the Derby Field at TIEC in 2022, a unique three-way tie in the $37,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake CSI 3*, and more. Read below to recap results and rider thoughts from Tryon Spring 5.

Harold Chopping Counts His Way to $25,000 Tryon Resort Sunday Classic Win

June 4, 2022 – Harold Chopping (Southern Pines, NC) and Quadrant 3 were the fastest duo of the day to win the $25,000 Tryon Resort Sunday Classic in Tryon Stadium, stopping the jump-off timers in 36.292 seconds. The remainder of the podium were also sub-37 seconds over the Michel Vaillancourt course: Savannah Hemby (Flower Mound, TX) took reserve with Juju VDM, the 2009 Belgian Warmblood mare (Toulon x For Pleasure) owned by Todd Minikus, LTD, on a time of 36.745 seconds, while Kelli Cruciotti-Vanderveen (Wellington, FL) piloted Gideon, Serenity Farm’s 2014 Zangersheide gelding (Super Trooper de Ness x Corland), to third place and a time of 36.927 seconds. Of 25 entries in the first round, eight pairs returned for the short course test.

Harold Chopping and Quadrant 3
©Natalie Suto for TIEC

Chopping and the 2012 Holsteiner gelding (Quadros x Carthago Z) owned by the Rein Family LLC, who he calls “Larry,” have been patiently waiting to move up the levels, and everything seemed to come together perfectly for them on Sunday, Chopping relayed.

“I really love the way he jumped the first round. He felt just fantastic, and right on it. He warmed up as well as he’s ever jumped in the warm up area, and everything just felt fantastic. As he worked his way around the ring, everything just came up perfectly. It was just as smooth as it could be!”

Savannah Hemby and Juju VDM
©Sarah Sturgis for TIEC

Knowing that his big-strided, scopey horse takes up some time in the air, Chopping carefully planned every stride between jumps, including on rollbacks. “Knowing the crowd that I was jumping against, I was trying to leave steps out around the corners. I really connected everything with numbers. The jump-off course made that possible everywhere except one place that would have been very abstract to count,” he explained.

“I did the forward steps from one to two, counted a number around 180-degree turn back to a vertical and I did one less than everybody there. I did the forward steps and matched most of them,” Chopping detailed. “Even though he’s not the quickest horse in the air, he’s really quick between the jumps because he’s such a big mover, and I just tried to use that. You sometimes have days where it all just shows itself beautifully, and it did.”

Kelli Cruciotti-Vanderveen and Gideon
©Sarah Sturgis for TIEC

Chopping emphasized his belief that careful horses in particular, like Larry, need to be extremely confident in the questions they’re being asked. With this in mind, “we’ve waited patiently for him to kind of grow up,” he shared. “He’s such a mature horse this year. It just feels like he has a whole different gear in him. I’m going to come back and jump in the two-star in the Tryon Summer Series and get him under the lights, and then keep trying to move up and challenge him with some of these night classes.

“He did it so easily. That’s what makes you feel good about it,” he continued. “The confidence level is there, and I think with these horses that are so sensitive and so careful, now, that that’s really key. And he’s certainly talented and scopey enough to jump anything, but with careful horses, you have to have them feeling good about it. And he’s I think he’s got all of that.”

Harold Chopping and Quadrant 3 in their presentation ceremony.
©Sarah Sturgis for TIEC

A frequent TIEC competitor, Chopping and Quadrant 3 will be ones to watch this season at TIEC. “I just love being able to come back here,” Chopping concluded, “and I’m thrilled that my owners, Mark and Tara Rein, have stuck with me and let me have an opportunity to do horses for them. It takes so much commitment from owners as well as my whole gang, but you have to have people who believe in you, so it’s really been a lot of fun to have a chance to show what we can do.”

For full results from the $25,000 Tryon Resort Sunday Classic, click here. 

Erin Dombroksi and Gable Stone Claim $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby

June 2, 2022 – The $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby was hosted on the Derby Field at TIEC on Friday, marking the first such competition of the season with more to follow. Erin Dombroski (Greenville, NC) and Gable Stone were victorious on a score of 171.5, rising from the middle of the pack to take the win. Just behind in reserve, Ashley Conkle (Wellford, SC) and Rebel De Vizy, Olivia Kuo’s 2005 Cheval De Selle gelding (Unknown x Unknown), scored 171 over two rounds. Completing the podium, Peyton Addington (Dallas, TX) took third aboard Semi-Automatic C, scoring 167.5 points with the 2009 Belgian Warmblood gelding (Cicero van Paemel Z x Ulise Uit Noorden) owned by Edith Rameika.

Erin Dombroski and Stone Gable
©Bailey Beck for TIEC

Dombroski and the 2009 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Cardento x Wereld Lord Z) owned by Diane Semer have been together since he was her Adult-Amateur horse, she revealed.

“I’ve had Gabe since he was five. He used to be my A-O horse, and then I went professional, and now he’s my Derby horse. He’s the most reliable horse I’ve ever had – he’s like my husband!”

Dombroski admitted that the first round challenged her skills with a 14-stride line, leaving her hungry for redemption in the handy round. “I had a little bit of a mistake; there was a 14-stride line, and I have a hard time counting above eight! So that kind of got me and I was a little worried that I wasn’t going to make it to the second round. My horse is so reliable and handy that I didn’t have any issues in the second round.”

Improving from eighth place to first was made possible by a forward pace and Gabe’s stunning jump, Dombroski emphasized. “I definitely had a more forward pace the second round. I think that’s what got me in the first round. And really, it was my horse [who won it]. He’s such a good jumper and I can basically ask him to leave from anywhere and I know that he’s going to jump well.”

The duo had never competed on grass before, “and sometimes he can be a little opinionated, so I was a little worried that he was going to get excited about being out in the field. But, he didn’t seem to care!

Erin Dombroski and Stone Gable in their presentation ceremony alongside Molly Oakman, TIEC Director of Equestrian Operations.
©Bailey Beck for TIEC

“I try to show about every three or four weeks, and we just came back from a show three weeks ago, so it was a good time,” Dombroski concluded. “I always have a good, fun time at Tryon. Gabe was also a champion in the Performance division, and my Baby Green horse was champion as well. I had a really great week!”

For full results from the $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby, click here. 

Kelli Cruciotti-Vanderveen and Forever SFN Claim $37,000 Power & Speed Stake CSI 3*

May 31, 2022 – Kell Cruciotti-Vanderveen (USA) and Forever SFN were flawless over both phases to take the win in Wednesday’s $37,000 Power & Speed Stake CSI 3*, stopping the speed phase timers in 34.51 seconds. In reserve, David Cameron (AUS) and Alan 111 Z, Graham and Linda Huddy’s 2011 Zangersheide gelding (Arko III x Kannan), cleared the course in a time of 36.59 seconds. Just behind with a time of 36.74 seconds, Hector Florentino Roca (DOM) and Meadowvale Cruise, the 2011 Irish Sport Horse gelding (Creevagh Ferro x Cruising) owned by Wyndmont, earned third place honors.

Kelli Cruciotti-Vanderveen and Forever SFN in their presentation ceremony.
©Sarah Sturgis for TIEC

Cruciotti-Vanderveen and the 2010 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Azteca VDL x Non Stop) owned by Mirjam Bierings and Springpaarden Fonds Nederland have been partnered for about three months, and their relationship is developing nicely, she reported.

“I’m really, really fortunate to have him in the barn. He’s an unbelievable horse and a real winner. I think he wants to win more than I do, so he makes me really believe,” she said. “He had a break after Miami, so he’s really fresh and I’m very happy with how he came out today.”

The course was especially well suited to her ride, Cruciotti-Vanderveen reported. “When I walked it [the course], I thought it had a lot of good things for him. He’s better on his right lead, and there were a lot of right lead approaches, so I was happy about that. I’d say the jump-off came up as best as I would hope it could. He felt great, and it was a great result for the first day. I couldn’t be happier!”

For full results from the $37,000 Power & Speed Stake CSI 3*, click here. 

$37,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake CSI 3* Results in Three-way Tie

June 1, 2022 – Of 39 entries who challenged the first round of the $37,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake CSI 3*, only three horse-and-rider pairs qualified for the jump-off test set by Michel Vaillancourt (CAN). Electing to save their horses’ energies for another day, all three riders were named winners of the qualifier class: Sharn Wordley (NZL) aboard Valentine CAR, the Fernando Cardenas-owned 2009 Warmblood gelding (Son of Juan Car x Galiani CH); Jacqueline Ruyle (USA) aboard San Chano, her own 2011 Oldenburg gelding (Sandro Boy x Chacco-Blue); and Kristen VanderVeen (USA) riding Bull Run’s Risen, the 2006 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Utopie x Indoctro) owned by Bull Run Jumpers, Inc.

For full results from the $37,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake CSI 3*, click here. 

Samuel Parot and Singulon Swipe $6,000 Speed Stake CSI 3* Win

June 2, 2022 – Samuel Parot (CHI) and Singulon, his own 2011 Holsteiner stallion of unknown breeding, swept through the timers in 64.4 seconds to claim the $6,000 Speed Stake CSI 3* win. Margie Goldstein-Engle (USA) and Cesna M, Virginia T. Bartholomay’s 2012 Oldenburg gelding (Check In 2 x Sandro Boy), scored reserve in a time of 69.39 seconds over the Michel Vaillancourt (CAN) track, while third place also went to the USA: Martien van der Hoeven (USA) rode Navaro van’t Verahof to a time of 69.51 seconds with the 2013 Belgian Warmblood gelding (Elvis Ter Putte x Vigo D arsouilles) owned by Maarten Huygens.

Samuel Parot and Singulon in their presentation ceremony.
©Natalie Suto for TIEC

For full results from the $6,000 Speed Stake CSI 3*, click here.

To replay highlight competitions from Tryon Spring 5, visit www.Tryon.com/streaming.

Tryon Spring 6/Tryon Riding & Hunt Club Charity 1 Horse Show will take place June 7-12 and features highlight competitions and festivities all week. Highlight competitions will be live streamed at www.Tryon.com/streaming and all competitions are free and open to the public. View the special event schedule here.

Photos ©TIEC (Bailey Beck, Natalie Suto and Sarah Sturgis as noted). These photos may only be used once, in relation to this press release. Competitors may find official show photos and request photos for upcoming competitions at www.Tryon.com/photos. All photographers must be credentialed to distribute or sell photos taken at TIEC. With questions, contact media@tryon.com.